Good Enough
by ReticentlyYellow
Summary: A James/Lily one-shot, showing an instance of how they came to be.  The rating is just to be safe.


**Author's Note:**** Hallo! Well, this is just a random James/Lily one-shot I wrote for my friend one day. I'm not entirely sure if it's good or not, but enjoy! And please review! **

Good Enough

James silently slid out of his four poster bed and surveyed the dormitory. Both Moony's and Padfoot's beds were empty; Wormtail was sound asleep and snoring; and Prongs had just vacated his own bed.

He carefully crept down the stairway, making sure to close the door quietly. When he entered the Common Room, he saw Sirius asleep on the couch with Remus curled up on his lap. James smiled slightly, and continued on his way. Whilst going through the portrait hole, a book slipped out of his bag and made a soft thump on the ground. Cursing, he quickly grabbed it and hurried out.

Turning the corner, he began to make his way along one of the secret passageways towards the library. He had memorized every inch of the castle; he didn't even need to sneak the map tonight.

James was surprised to find the library's door unlocked- surely Madam Pince would've closed up by now. Entering cautiously, he made no noise, and silently moved through the stacks. He gathered the books that were needed and set up work at one of the available tables. The candlelight flickered over his face, casting an eerie glow, and his hunched position over the parchment didn't help prevent the spooky effect. However, he was so immersed in his work, he failed to notice the figure walking up behind him.

"James Potter, in the _library_? After hours, no less. What's wrong, Potter? A book on Quidditch you were just _dying _to take out?"

James looked up to see the smirking outline of Lily Evans.

"Evans!" he exclaimed, surprised. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

She laughed quietly. "Startled you, did I?"

James pursed his lips in distaste, and resumed pouring over his books. "Go away, Evans. I'm busy."

"_Busy_? There's a shock. I thought there was no room in your life for anything but flying," she retorted, covering up the fact that she was affronted by his rudeness.

Sighing, James closed his current book with a thump and looked up at the Head Girl with tired eyes. "Why are you here, Lily? It's nearly one in the bloody morning." He ran a hand through his already messy hair, and regarded her with hazy eyes.

"Well, Potter. This room, it's called a library. And I'm here to read books." She held up the book in her hand and pointed to it for emphasis. "That's what this is called, a book."

James shook his head tiredly, and proceeded to ignore her teasing, reopening his book and scribbling down phrases on his parchment.

Lily furrowed her brow at his response, and sat down in the chair opposite him.

"Potter? What are you doing?"

He looked up at her again. "Writing an essay and writing a letter and studying for my exam. Why?"

She stared at him as if he was insane. "And you're doing this now. At one in the morning. The day before?"

James ran his hand through his hair again, and as he adjusted the candle, she noticed how bloodshot his eyes were.

"James, what the bloody hell've you been doing?"

"Don't use that language, Evans. S'not proper."

Lily snorted. "I'll use whatever language I want. Now why the hell are you working on this so late at night?"

He sighed, irritated, and began an explanation. "Being captain of the Quidditch team, trials ran late tonight, ending at eight. I had to have dinner somehow, and then I had to break up a row between Sirius and some idiotic Slytherin that challenged him to a duel." Another hand through his hair. "When I got back to the Common Room at ten, I settled on my bed to start my essays, but I fell asleep. I woke up at midnight, and realized I didn't have the proper books, so I came here. The library. Which, as you so deftly pointed out, has books. Happy, Evans?"

Lily was flat out staring at him. "Jesus Christ, Potter. Do you do all your essays this late?"

He looked at her. "It's not due tomorrow, Lily. It's that Potions essay Slughorn set us due Monday."

"Merlin's Beard! Even _I _haven't started on that one."

James ran a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time and smiled tiredly. "And?"

This was the first point where Lily Evans started thinking about James Potter in an entirely different light. He wasn't the arrogant, cocky Quidditch player that every girl fawned on, but an entirely responsible person who did things in reasonably the same fashion she did.

Lily smiled to herself and got up. "You've got all the wrong books there, then."

James furrowed his brow and looked at the titles.

"You won't be wanting this, this... or this," she said, picking up the books. Lily waved her wand, and James watched the books float over to Madam Pince's desk unaided.

"Come on. I'll show you where to get the right ones." Lily headed off into the stacks, with James confusedly following behind.

The Head Girl hummed to herself as she skimmed the books in the aisle, one finger trailing along their spines. "Hmm... ah!" She pulled a book off the shelf, and flipped through it quickly. "Here. This should tell you all you need to know about Wolfsbane." Lily held out the book for James, and he stumbled forward to take it, his hand reaching out.

The bookshelf, apparently, wouldn't allow it. James tripped over one of its legs, and fell on top of Lily, knocking them both to the floor. He quickly lifted himself up into a sitting position, and helped the squished redhead up as well.

The two sat with their backs against the bookshelf. "Sorry, Evans," James breathed, embarrassed.

"Not at all a problem," Lily whispered back.

They were less than a foot away from each other, and that distance was quickly bridged.

Lily leaned forward slightly into James's nice scent and warmth, and James brought his lips to Lily's tentatively.

When Lily responded by putting her arms around James's neck, he took a hand and ran it through her silky red hair. She probed his mouth lightly with her tongue, and he bit playfully at her lip in response.

After what could've been a minute, or perhaps hours, they pulled away and simply looked at each other.

"Bet you've never done this in the library," Lily smiled, snuggling into James.

He grinned back at her. "This is the first, Evans."

"Ooh, what about James Potter?" The voice of Laila Jones trailed across the room to the ears of the Marauders.

Lily Evans laughed. "That arrogant git? No way." She playfully pushed her friend across the shoulder. James cocked an eyebrow as she met his gaze. Lily smiled and looked away.

Lily couldn't believe she'd never noticed how nicely she fit into his contour. As they lay in James's bed just after midnight, James brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "Arrogant git, am I?"

She giggled, an uncommon sound heard from the Head Girl, and wound her fingers into his hair. "You heard me, Potter. You're not that great," she teased.

He smiled into her red locks. "Good enough, Evans. I'm good enough."


End file.
